1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to pneumatic tires and, more particularly, to a pneumatic tire in combination with a tire tag. Specifically, the present invention is related to how the tire tag is mounted to the pneumatic tire and the location of the mounting.
2. Background Information
Various types of tire tags in the nature of tire monitoring devices and tire identification devices are known in the art. Tire monitoring devices may be configured to read temperature or pressure and store the information for later retrieval. These devices may also be configured to transmit the information from the tire to an outside reader. Tire monitoring devices may use the information to trigger an alarm when the temperature or pressure of the tire reaches a limit. Tire identification devices allow a tire to be identified through its manufacturing process and after the tire is placed into service. Tire monitoring and identification devices may be passive or active depending on design and desired functions.
One type of tire identification device known in the art is a tire identification chip (tire ID chip). A tire ID chip stores a unique identification number that may be read by an interrogation signal sent by a device that obtains the information from the tire ID chip. Tire manufacturers wish to mount one tire ID chip into each tire manufactured so that the tire may be tracked during the manufacturing process and during use on vehicles.
Given the wide variety of monitoring and identification devices, a wide variety of mounting configurations also exist for these devices. Exemplary known mounting configurations include building the monitoring device into a tire sidewall, building the monitoring device into the bead filler, attaching the device with a patch to the tire sidewall, attaching the device directly to the innerliner with an adhesive, connecting the device to the rim that supports the tire, and mounting the device to the valve stem of the wheel.